Half to nathan taylor



(No Model.)

F. B,- PAY.- CARD TABLE.

Patented July 28,1891.

lllllllHlIl UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

FORBES B. FAY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TONATHAN TAYLOR, OF SAME PLACE.

CARD-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,698, dated July 28,1891.

Application filed June 4, 1 8 86.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FORBES B. FAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vorccs ter, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement inOard-Tables, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide means for counting upon thesurface of the table without interfering with its employment forcard-playing and of indicating the trump suit and location of thedealer.

The construction and arrangement of my improved card-table by which Iattain these objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inWhich- Figure 1 is a plan View of one-half of the table-top. Fig. 2 is asectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the entire table.Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the ring for closing the groove in thetable-top. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the movable plate forindicating the trump suit, and Fig. (i is a view of one of thecounting-pins.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

In Fig. 3 I have shown in elevation one form of a table embodying thefeatures of my invention. I do not confine myself to any special form oftable, for while Ideemaround table preferable for ordinary purposes, thetop may be made in any form, as square, oblong, hexagonal, or octagonal.In case a round table is to be used I form a shallow groove B in theupper surface of the top 0, ordinarily from one and one-quarter to twoinches in width and about one-half inch deep. The bottom a, Fig. 2, ofthe groove forms a surface upon which the counting operations incidentto the game being played are carried on.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows one-half of the top A in plan view with aconcentric groove B, in which a series of holes I) are arranged adaptedfor keeping the count of the game of cribbage. Four of these series ofholes are arranged at equal distances around the table for the use offour players sitting at opposite sides of the table. Between theseparate sets of holes for counting eribbage are holes 0 for keeping thetally of the separate games. The holes in the groove extend Serial No.204,159.

(No model.)

entirely through the top, as shown at cl in Fig. 2, for the purpose ofpreventing their becoming filled with dirt. Pins D are used, (shown on alarger scale in Fig. 6,) each pin having a flange or shoulder c, whichis adapted to rest on the bottom of the groove and prevent the pins fromfalling through. The length of the pins above the shoulder 6 should notbe greater than the depth of the groove, so as to allow cards to bedrawn off the table over the groove without coming in contact with thepin-heads.

Instead of the holes 0, a dial with a rotating index-finger may beemployed, placed on the bottom of the groove; or any known devices maybe used, either to keep the tally of the games or to keep the count ofother games than cribbage.

In a convenient position at the side of each player I place a hole f toreceive a pin E, Fig. 5, having a rectangular plate-shaped head E,filling the groove B, so as to keep the pin from turning.

In each of the four corners of the head E, I place a figure of one ofthe four suits of the ordinary playing cards, and to the head E, I pivota plate E with one-quarter removed, as at g, to disclose one of thesuit-indicating figures, and thus indicate the trump suit of the gamethen being played. At the next deal the pin E is passed to the nextplayer in turn and placed in the hole f at his side, with the pivotedplate E turned to exhibit the suit as determined. The pin E, with itssuits, characters, and pivoted plate, by being changed from one of theholes fto the other to correspond with the successive deals will notonly indicate the trump suit, but also determine the dealer.

When not in use as a card-table, I place a ring 13, Fig. 4:, in thegroove B, which is made of wood or metal, and is T-shaped in itscrosssection, as shown in Fig. 4, the top 72 filling the groove and therib t" resting upon the bottomof the groove and supporting the toptflush with the upper surface of the table.

In card-tables to be used upon railwaytrains, and which are usuallyrectangular in form, I make a straight groove on each side of the tableandextending either entirely or partially across, and instead of agroove a ICC the tricks are taken, and at the same time leavesubstantially the entire surface of the table available for the purposeof carrying on the game. The inner surface of the tabletop or thatwithin the groove is in the same plane as the surface without the grooveand the Width of the groove is made considerably less than the width ofa playing-card, so that the groove will offer no obstacle to sliding thecards upon the surface of the table from the center to the edge of thetable.

a It will be observed that my improved table is also equally adapted 'toother games than card-playing and to all uses in which the operations ofcounting are required.

I am aware that game-tables have been made in which the larger portionof the surface of the table-top has been lower than the surface of anannular surrounding rim; also that boardsarranged for keeping the tallyof games have been inserted as slides in the table-top,

with their upper surfaces fiush with the top of the table. I do notherein claim such as of my invention; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A table as described, having a groove of less width than the width ofa playing-card and substantially parallel with the periphery of thetable, the bottom of said groove being slightly below the surface of thetable and provided with appliances for counting, the central surface ofthe table-top Within said groove and the annular surface Without saidgroove being in the same plane, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combinatiomwith a table-top having a narrow annular groove ofless Width than the width of aplaying-card and provided with holes, asdescribed, of a counting-pin having a flange to limit its entrance intosaid holes, a fixed head provided with suit-indi cating characters, apivoted cover having a section removed to disclose one of saidcharacters, said fixed head and pivoted cover being non-circular in formand having its edge resting against the side of said annular groove inorder to prevent the rotation of said pivoted cover, as and for thepurpose set forth.

FORBES B. FAY.

\Vitnesses 2" RUFUs B. FOWLER, NATHAN TAYLOR.

